Field of the Invention
The subject matter of this specification is in the field of portable exercise apparatuses and related methods.
Background of the Invention
Many individuals strive to live a healthy lifestyle and achieve personal health. A healthy lifestyle involves incorporating exercise in one form or another. Many options, from workout facilities to personal home exercise equipment, exist to help individuals exercise and strengthen their muscles and cardiovascular systems. Typically, training different muscles in the upper and lower body requires a lot of different types of equipment and space. Today, individuals are finding it harder to find time to go to the gym or to find space for exercise equipment. In an attempt to limit the storage necessary and provide more convenience, companies have produced different home gym apparatuses and portable exercise devices. However, with added convenience frequently comes fewer options and decreased variety. For example, some of the portable exercise equipment available may restrict the user to just one type of exercise, or to just upper or lower body exercises. Alternatively, home gym equipment and machines that offer full body workouts are often restricted by a lack of portability. Therefore, there remains a need for an exercise apparatus that is extremely portable, yet versatile enough to accommodate a full body workout with varying resistances.
One example of a portable exercise equipment device that does not allow for a great amount of varying resistances is U.S. Pat. No. 8,088,050 by Aucamp, which discloses a portable exercise device with two resistance cords and handles. However, the amount of resistance is limited to the amount of resistance provided by an opposing arm or its associated muscles. Conversely, an example of exercise equipment that allows for a total body workout but is not portable is U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,955 by Westfall et al. (hereinafter Westfall), which discloses an exercise device that uses cables and pulleys, and utilizes different inclines to increase resistance. However, Westfall's exercise equipment is only collapsible and cannot be transported easily or used to travel.
Thus, a need exists for exercise equipment that: (1) is portable enough to fit in a travel case or under a bed; (2) has the ability to train both the upper and lower body; and (3) offers varying degrees of dynamic resistance.